The latest offering from Grand Soleil is clearly performance oriented with this desire for speed reflected in her hull lines. But can she offer cruising comfort too?
The new Grand Soleil 44P is marketed as an easy-to-cruise performance yacht that can deliver you to your destination in record time in a comfortable fashion.
For those interested, the brief for this new model from the Cantiere del Pardo stable also includes the creation of a yacht that could excel in both IRC and ORC regattas.
The Grand Soleil 44P marks the yard’s first collaboration with Matteo Polli, who has worked successfully with Cossutti Yacht Design and Italia Yachts in the past.
Polli was tasked with providing a boat with high form stability while not being too extreme. If looks
play a part in its success, the Grand Solil 44P is certainly on the right track. Maximum beam is carried well aft at deck level, but is narrow at the waterline, which reduces drag and suits a single rudder configuration.
All the talk of performance is great for those who want to race it, or those who value speed above all else, but if the boat wants to make a mark in the cruising market then versatile options will be a key consideration, as will the comfort below.
The Grand Soleil 44P comes with two different deck layouts, one for the more racing oriented market and one for those interested in cruising. The cruising version simplifies manoeuvres and line handling, including a self-tacking jib as standard, while the race model offersa greater number of winches, a taller rig and a non self-tacking jib on transverse jib tracks.
The clean layout below includes three cabins and two heads, both with separate shower cubicles. There’s an L-shaped kitchen and dinette with a comfortable U-shaped sofa and table positioned centrally. IN addition to the three seater sofa opposite the U-shaped sofa, 8 people can be seated in the salon. This space below does come at the expense of a separate chart table, instead opting for a chart table / nav area at the forward end of the straight sofa.
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